Morals

[Doug Millison]

Jeremy,

What is it in my message that communicates to you that I meant these
descriptive terms perjoratively? A pothead is a person who smokes pot.  A
masturbator is a person who masturbates. No moral judgement involved here,
except what has been attributed by others.

I do think Pynchon is making a point by choosing to describe Zoyd with these
qualities.  Whatever else it might be, masturbation isn't the same as having
sex with a partner, and I think Pynchon depicts Zoyd this way to underscore
the loneliness of his situation, especially in that scene where Zoyd  tries
to haunt Frenesi.  

Pynchon doesn't depict Prairie as a pot-smoker, but he depicts her father
that way. I questioned whether or not the differing depictions of these
characters might have an impact on the way a reader reacts to one or
another. I think it's a legitimate question. 

-Doug